BBB Warns Of Ordering From Online Phamacies

(November 16, 2012)--As consumers look to cut their cost of prescription medications, the BBB warns of turning to online pharmacies.

According to a report from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, 97 percent of 10,000 websites analyzed were operating out of compliance with U.S. pharmacy law.

According to the organization, many of those are unlicensed, operating illegally or operating from foreign countries where medicines shipped to the U.S. are unregulated.

Shoppers who go online looking for a cheaper alternative to local pharmacies could be putting their health at risk because medicine could be contaminated, sub-potent, super-potent, expired, counterfeit or stored under incorrect temperatures.

To identify a legitimate online pharmacy, the FBI says companies will require a prescription from a licensed doctor, a detailed medical history, fees will be clearly disclosed and the website will have a secure or encrypted website connection.

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